Latching device for containers or compartments



July 29, 1941. m. c. KNIGHT 2,251,138

LATCHING DEVICE FOR CONTAINERS OR COMPARTMENTS I Filed May 3, 1940 .9 v MIEIIIIHIIIEM? Patented July 29, 1941 LATCHING DEVICE FOR CONTAINERS OR C OMPARTMEN T S Milton 0. Knight, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Thermo-Vac Corporation, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 3, 1940, Serial No. 333,132

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved latching device for containers or compartments, particularly of the storage box or locker type, wherein it is desired to hold a hinged cover or door in a closed position.

The latching device of the present invention is particularly characterized by itsv simplicity of construction and the fact that when installed, all parts thereof are substantially flush with adjacent surfaces of the associated container. Furthermore, the latch element of the device is so mounted that it may be quickly disengaged from its cooperating catch by the slight pressure of a fingertip, thereby permitting the cover or door carrying the latch to be quickly opened. The above and other advantageous features of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a container, showing the device of the present invention in latched position.

Fig. 2 shows the device being unlatched to permit opening of the container.

Fig. 3 is af ragmentary sectional View along the line 3-3 of Fig, 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, showing the position of the latch just prior to engaging its catch.

Fig. 5 is an exploded View, showing parts of the device in unassembled relation.

Referring to the drawing, the cover or door of a suitable container or other compartment is indicated at I, the cover being mounted so that it may be moved into closed position with refera.

ence to a wall portion 2, forming part of the container. A free edge of the cover I provides a notch 3, within which is mounted a bracket 4 for pivotally supporting a latch 5 that extends downwardly into a notch 6 provided along the upper edge of the wall portion 2. It is to be noted that the bracket 4 and the latch 5 are entirely flush with adjacent corner surfaces of the cover I and wall 2, respectively.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the latch 5, whichis L-shaped, is mounted on a pivot 1 extending between the arms 4a of the bracket 4, the pivot being parallel to and adjacent the corner of the cover. A spring 8 tends to turn the latch in a clockwise direction about the pivot 1, so as to engage a downwardly xtending portion 5a of the latch with the base of the bracket 4. The ends of the spring 8 are engaged by positioning lugs 9 provided by the latch and bracket,

so that when the latch 5 is assembled on the d pivot 1, the spring 8 cannot become displaced. Turning movement of the latch about the pivot pin 1 is limited by engagement between a part of the bracket 4 and the latch as best shown in Fig. 3, in which position the arm portions of the latch ar flush with the adjacent surfaces of the cover.

The latch portion 5a terminates in a turnedover lip I0, adapted to cooperate with a catch ll mounted in the wall notch 6, with a lip I2 of the catch I I facing towards the latch lip ill and substantially flush with the upper edge of the wall 2. The lip IE! is upwardly inclined with respect to the latch portion 5a, so that when the top I is moved downwardly to engage the wall 2, the catch lip l2 engages this inclined surface, and turns the latch 5 in a counter clockwise direction about its pivot 1, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby compressing the spring 8. As the top I completes its closing movement, the engaged lips I!) and I2 clear each other, whereupon the compressed spring 8 snaps the latch 5 to positively engage the lip H] with the under side of the lip I 2. The cover I is then firmly held in latched position, as shown in Fig. 3,

When it is desired to open the cover I, it is only necessary to exert sufiicient pressure on the top of the latch 5 to depress it, whereupon the lip I0 is withdrawn from engagement with the lip 12 as the latch turns on its pivot against the pressure of the spring 8. The release of the latch 5 by downward pressure is indicated in Fig. 2, from which it is evident that when one finger is used on the latch, another finger can be readily inserted beneath the top to raise the same. As soon as the pressure is released, the latch 5 returns to the position of Fig. 1, in which it is flush with the corner of the cover I It will be noted that the pivot l is located midway between the ends of the latch 5 and adjacent the corner thereof, so that the portion of the latch engaged and depressed for disengaging the latch is on the side of the pivot pin opposite to the lip l0 which engages the complementary catch II.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that by the present invention, there is provided an improved latching device for containers and compartments, that is characterized by its simplicity of construction and operation. The fact that all parts of the device are flush with the corner of the container or compartment when the latch is closed, renders the device particularly suitable for use in cramped quarters, as on shipboard, due to the entire absence of any projecting parts. This latter feature also enables containers provided with such flush latching devices to be evenly stacked, without possibility of breaking off any parts of the devices.

I claim:

1. A latching device for the relatively movable members of a container, comprising an L-shaped latch pivotally mounted within a notch provided along the edge or one of said container members, the other of said container member having a catch engageable by the latch, and a spring for yieldably maintaining said latch in engagement with said catch, said L-shaped latch having the arms thereof flush with adjoining surfaces of the container member in which the latch is pivotally mounted.

2. A latching device for the relatively movable members of a container, comprising an L-shaped latch pivotally mounted within a notch provided along the edge of one of said container members, the other of said container member having a catch engageable by the latch, and a spring for yieldably maintaining said latch in engagement with said catch, with the external surfaces of the arms of said latch being flush with the corner formed by said container members when said latch and catch are in engagement.

3. A latching device for the relatively movable members of a container, comprising an L-shaped latch element pivotally mounted within a notch provided along the edge of one of said container members, the other of said container members having a catch adapted to be engaged by the latch, and a spring for yieldably maintaining said latch in engagement with said catch, with said L-shaped latch having the arms thereof flush with adjoining surfaces of the container member in which the latch is pivotally mounted, one arm of said latch being depressibl below the surface of the container member adjacent said notch, for rocking the latch about its pivotal mounting to disengage said latch from said catch.

4. A latch for holding a cover on a container, the latter having positioned in one wall thereof a catch adapted to be engaged by the latch, said latch comprising a bracket positioned in a notch provided along one edge of the cover, an L- shaped latch element pivoted to said bracket adjacent to the junction between said edge and an adjoining side of the cover, with the two opposite arms'of the latch element normally flush with said edge and the adjoining side of the cover, a spring underneath one of the arms of the latch element and engageable therewith ior resiliently holding the latch element in normal position, and the other arm of the element having a lip for engagement with the catch.

5. A latch for holding a cover on a container, the latter having positioned in one wall thereof a catch adapted to be engaged by the latch, said latch comprising a bracket positioned in a notch provided along one edge of the cover, an L- shaped latch element pivoted to said bracket adjacent to the junction between said edge and an adjoining side of the cover, with the two opposite arms of the latch element normally flush with said edge and the adjoining side of the cover, a spring underneath on of the arms of the latch element and engageable therewith for resiliently holding the latch element in normal position, one arm of the latch being engageable with a portion of the bracket when the latch element is in normal position to limit the movement of the latch by the spring.

6. A latch for holding a cover on a container, the latter having positioned in one wall thereof a catch adapted to be engaged by the latch, said latch comprising a bracket positioned in a notch provided along one edge of the cover, an L shaped latch element pivoted to said bracket adjacent to the junction between said edge and an adjoining side of the cover, with the two opposite arms of the latch element normally flush with said edge and the adjoining side of the cover, a spring underneath one of the arms of th latch element and engageable therewith for resiliently holding the latch element in normal position, one arm of the latch element being engageable with a portion of the bracket when the latch element is in normal position to limit the movement of the latch by the spring, and a lip formed on the latch and adapted to engage with the catch.

MILTON C. KNIGHT. 

